Trucking: Starting to get Discouraged, trucking company, consistent work

Question
Hello Bob,

My Fiance' and I started a trucking company, at one point he was the only driver and we own our tractor and lease 2 trailers, however we hired an additional driver because we were offered so much work that my fiance could not do it all.  Now things have slowed down so much, that we are starting to think we made a bad decision. It will be a year in January since we accepted our first load.  I have a list of companies on top of companies that I make cold calls to and am trying to get consistent work.  I feel as though no doors are opening and no one is willing to give a chance.  I wonder if my approach is wrong (I inquire as to how I can become an approved carrier?) or the industry itself is slow.  I have had companies say "oh yeah we can use you, send us a carrier packet and some rates and we can get you started" and as soon as I do I never hear from them again and our rates are very competitive. Please help me, I used to be so excited to get up and work and now I can hardly find the energy to stay focused without getting frustrated.

Answer
Hi Eboni.

I'm sorry to hear about your problem, but freight right now is generally very slow.  Here's what I would do.  First, any customers that are near you, stop in and say "hello".  Nothing beats a sales call face to face.  I often say "What can I do to be your carrier".  Simple as that.  They'll want you to lower prices and you comment on how competitive you are with a great on-time record.  Fluff in other words.  It's sales, but it's harder for people to tell you "NO" in person and easy over the phone.  Some customers won't be near you, in that case, you call them and tell them the same thing.  Keeping in touch will yield loads and eventually loyal customers.  Keep in mind, also, that what you consider competitive rates may still be high for your area, type of freight, etc.  Do some research.

Second, check load boards like www.getloaded.com for loads.  Call brokers in your area.  Yes, brokers take their cut, but will keep you running.

Third, consider leasing out to another company.  See if they have a dedicated route (At least until freight picks up).  Dedicated routes mean steady paychecks and will help pay the bills.  Even if they don't, they may be able to keep you running.

Fourth, you might have to lay off the driver and sell the second truck.  Don't go into debt to keep a driver employed!  Your credit is extremely important and with it, you can always get another truck when freight improves.

I think freight will be slow for until the Presidential elections next year.  That's kind of what I'm hearing.  I know it's hard to stay focused, trust me!  You should lay out a daily plan.  Get a notebook and write it down.  Today, I'm calling company a,b,c,d and e.  Tomorrow I'll call company f,g,h,i, and j.  The next day, wear a business casual outfit and stop by company k, l, m and n.  You get the idea.  This will give you short term goals.  Write down who you talked to with each company and brief description of the conversation.  Keep following up with them.  Before you know it, your talking to a lot of people and things will happen.  Like I said, write it down, it helps you stay focused!  Otherwise, you won't stick with making the calls and it's too easy to say "I've got other things to do".  Have the next days plan before you go to bed.  You'll wake up with a mission.

Good luck and stick with it.  It may be slow but there is always freight out there to move, you just need to get it.  Years from now, your efforts will really show when you have a fleet of trucks and many loyal customers.  Remember when you write that trucking how-to book, my last name is 'Stephens'.  :)

Happy Holidays.

Bob Stephens